


Control your Kids

by Wynja



Series: In Perfect Control - universe [2]
Category: Deathstroke the Terminator (Comics), Teen Titans (Animated Series), Teen Titans - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Sladin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:08:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21869572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wynja/pseuds/Wynja
Summary: The best Christmas gift can be family, even if it consists of a cold blooded killer and two butlers...
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Slade Wilson
Series: In Perfect Control - universe [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1532012
Comments: 18
Kudos: 69





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Merry Christmas! Here’s a little treat for you. I split it up in three parts to make it a bit more manageable, and I will most likely post one part per day for the coming days.
> 
> This Belongs to the “Control” universe, meaning you have to read:  
> In Perfect Control  
> and  
> Control your Pets (Delightful Drabbles number 233 if you’re reading this on Fanfiction)  
> before starting this!

It was a Friday night in late December and outside a snow storm was roaring. Inside, a fire was doing the same in the small sitting room, which Albert called ‘the snug’. Robin was sprawled out on the sofa with his head in Slade’s lap, reading through a contract. Slade was reading a book he had found in the house’s library, a biography on Winston Churchill.

“This man should be really grateful for the war,” the man muttered. “Or people would have realized how awful he was at economics…”

Robin grinned. He had learned that Slade sometimes uttered little comments about what he was reading, like he was having a conversation with the book. The teen didn’t think it really was meant for him; he was pretty sure he had heard the man mumble to himself even when he was alone in the room.

“What-?” Robin began to ask but was interrupted by the door opening, revealing Alfred. The old butler had had a long talk with the teen after he discovered that he was occasionally seeing Slade, and then an even longer one when Robin had returned home from his supposed vacation with Lex a few months earlier with the man in more permanent tow. After making sure all was well, the old man had accepted the situation, however, and now had adopted the position that Robin simply had ‘snared’ Slade and that the man was, all things considered, a decent catch. The teen agreed.

“Mister Wilson, there’s a visitor to see you. A Major Wintergreen.”

Slade stood up so quickly that Robin was pushed to the floor with a grunt.

“The hell?” the teen asked but then shot to his feet. “Enemy?” he asked tensely, his eyes on the door and body in fighting position.

“No. Old friend. But he could be the carrier of bad news.”

It turned out that Wintergreen was indeed carrying something. Something wrapped in a big blanket, and which appeared quite heavy in his arms.

Robin watched the man enter. He was around Alfred’s age and very much reminded Robin of the butler. The grey-white hair, the small moustache, and when he opened his mouth it became clear that he was even British.

“Slade, sorry to barge in on the domestic bliss… I have a bit of an issue here.”

“Better be a pretty big issue…” Slade replied, although not unfriendly.

“Well, it’s a little over a year old… and I gather it weighs about 19 pounds or so…” the man said and carefully folded back the blanket. Reveled was the face of a sleeping child. With white hair.

“Holy…!” Robin said, staring. “You have a kid?!” he asked Slade, but as soon as he laid eyes on the man, he realized that he had had no idea himself. Robin had never seen him looking so shocked. The mercenary even took a small step back as if to steady himself.

“Who… the mother?” Slade eventually asked.

“Remember a certain ‘Sweet Lili’ in the jungles of Cambodia?” the man asked.

“Is she-?”

“Dead? Yes. Ran a brothel in New York, ticked off the wrong people. She left Rose here behind. I had to take her.”

“Of course!” The voice didn’t belong to Slade but to Alfred. “Albert and I will go get some things together, there should be some stored away in the attic. Will she be hungry when she wakes up?”

“Most likely.”

“I’ll have some food prepared first, then,” the old man said.

Slade was still staring at the bundle.

“My arms are getting tired, are you going to take her?” Wintergreen asked dryly.

Slade didn’t move.

“Are you insane? What am I going to do with a kid?” he asked. The eyes of his old friend darted to Robin and a smirk curled Wintergreen’s lip. “Don’t.” Slade warned him, knowing where the man’s mind had gone.

“I couldn’t leave her. She would end up in the system, most likely go ‘missing’ and end up god knows where,” Wintergreen told him. “It wouldn’t be right.”

“How do you even know about her?” Slade growled.

“Found out when she just had been born. I contacted Lili to help me check up on a lead for a job for you. Was sworn to secrecy. She didn’t want you around.”

“Clever woman,” Slade muttered.

At that moment the child stirred. Blue eyes slowly opened and blinked in the light.

“Mama?” asked a small voice.

“She’s not here, pumpkin, but your daddy is,” Wintergreen answered.

“Da?” the girl asked and looked around. Her eyes landed on Slade. There was a moment of silence. “MAMA! MAMA!” she yelled, and started to cry.

“She’s been… upset. She saw it happen. Found her next to Lili’s body, trying to wake her.”

“Holy shit…” Robin whispered. That hit way too close to home, and he couldn’t help himself. He rushed forward and relieved Wintergreen of his burden by pulling the crying child to his chest.

“There, there, sweetie,” he mumbled, bouncing her slightly. “Who’s a big girl, Rose? I’m uncle Robin. Oh, you’re chilly, let’s go warm up by the fire, ok?” he said and then started humming as he bounced the baby and rubbed her back. The hysterical crying soon died down to blubbering, especially when Robin sat down in the sofa and pulled a plush warm blanket around them.

Slade still hadn’t moved. Wintergreen just chuckled and ambled over to a drinks tray where a bottle of whisky stood, mainly for Slade’s benefit. Wintergreen filled a tumbler and pushed it into his old friend’s hand.

“Here. You look like you need it.”

Slade nodded stiffly and drained the glass, holding it out for a refill. He got it.

“What the hell am I supposed to do?” he muttered. His friend scoffed.

“Take care of her!”

“Impossible. I have to find someone to adopt her,” Slade claimed, shaking his head. Robin glanced up at him and gave him a glare.

“Old friend,” Wintergreen said. “See the white hair? Who knows what else she might have inherited from you? You can’t let her grow up knowing nothing of her origins, she will need you to guide her.”

Slade scoffed. “Yes, let’s have her inherit the family business, shall we? How good will she be at sniping, you think?”

“At least she will be able to use either eye for the scope if she needs to,” his friend smirked.

“Maybe I should get her a Baby’s First Kill set?” Slade chuckled, with a hint of hysteria to his voice.

“Hey, idiot,” Robin said softly from his corner. “Get the hell over yourself. This is about Rose. We need to make her feel safe for now, ok? We’ll figure something out.”

“You’d want to keep her. She’s not a puppy,” Slade told him. “Can we exchange her for a puppy?” he asked his friend.

“Yes, probably. Some guy in a white van might be willing to make a trade,” Wintergreen shrugged.

“Slade, why don’t you go give Albert and Alfred a hand with carrying things?” Robin suggested with a sigh. The man nodded, seemingly relived to leave, and left the room.

“How big is the risk that he just leaves the house and never comes back?” the teen asked dryly.

“Pretty big for leaving, but I’d bet on returning within a week… if only because you’re here,” Wintergreen chuckled.

“I seem to be at a disadvantage here, I’m afraid Slade hasn’t mentioned you,” Robin said apologetically.

“I’m not surprised,” the man smiled, and came over. “Major William Wintergreen, retired, at your service,” he said as they shook hands.

“Richard Wayne. Call me Robin, though, if you want.”

“And I’m Will. So… I’ve heard a lot about you. Mainly complaints.”

Robin’s mood immediately plummeted and he felt hurt. “Complaints?” he asked carefully.

“Oh, don’t worry, if Slade was a man that was actually able to express his emotions more than about once a year, he’d be gushing about you. Instead he complains. That’s how he works. But you had him in quite a spin when Luthor was involved.”

Robin grinned a little. “He tried very hard to act like he didn’t care.”

“And failed miserably,” the older man chuckled.

Alfred walked in at that point with a tray. It held tea and sandwiches for Wintergreen and porridge, crackers and mashed fruit for the toddler.

“As I didn’t know what she is used to eating I thought we’d take the safe route,” he explained. “Would you like me to take her, Master Richard?” he asked.

“No, we’ll manage, won’t we, Rose?” Robin said and the child was gently coaxed to turn a bit so she could see the food.

“Nana!” she said and reached for the fruit bowl.

“Yes, banana, do you want some?” Robin cooed and then proceeded to feed her. In the mean while Wintergreen sighed happily.

“Proper English tea… it feels like it’s been a life time!” he said, making the old butler preen a bit. Robin grinned, knowing that the major had just made a friend, even though he might not realize it himself.

“Is Slade… did he show up to help?” the teen asked, half expecting to get a no.

“Yes, he and Albert is setting up the cot in the nursery. That is, the blue guestroom.”

“But shouldn’t she sleep in our room? Just for tonight? What if she wakes up?” the teen asked worriedly.

“I packed as many of her things as I could find,” Wintergreen let them know. “There were baby monitors among the things, I believe.”

“Very good,” Alfred said. “Perhaps we should go through what you brought. I imagine there might be some laundry that needs to be done as well.”

“Of course. Robin, are you in control here?” the major asked.

“We’re just fine,” the teen grinned, having moved the child onto the porridge with no problems. “But Alfred?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Move the cot into our bedroom. For tonight. She shouldn’t be alone.”

“As you wish, sir,” the man said with a smile and a small bow.

Robin wasn’t crazy about kids; he didn’t feel the need to run up to prams and coo at the content or felt that he was a natural around children. He had grown up as an only child, after all. He had been a sort of parental figure from a very young age, however, as the leader of the Teen Titans. Besides Raven, he had probably been the most mature one of the bunch at the time, and he made most of the serious decisions. Still, he hadn’t pictured himself sitting feeding a toddler any time soon, if at all. Yet, when seeing Rose and hearing what she had been through… there had been an instant attachment. He didn’t know what would happen to the girl, but he knew he would make damn sure she would be as okay as she possibly could.

“Nuugh!” the girl suddenly made a weird noise. “Nuugh!”

“What is it, Rose? What is-” he then smelled what was going on. Robin paled. There were some things he didn’t feel quite mature enough to do yet. “Alfred?!” he called. “Albert?! SLADE?! Will?! Anyone?!”

“Master Wayne?” Albert came in through the door in that strange way both he and Alfred had of moving quickly without seeming to rush.

“I… um… she’s… She needs a new diaper,” the teen said. “Urgently.”

“Certainly. Come here little lady. Let’s see if we can locate any clean nappies, shall we?” the young man said and held out his arms. Rose was having none of it, though, and held on to Robin for dear life. “It seems there will be quite a scene if I take her. Maybe you can escort us, sir?” the under-butler suggested.

“You know how to change a diaper?”

“Of course. Though not traditionally part of a butler’s assignments, it helps to always be ready, so I took a child care class, including child CPR.”

“Let’s hope we won’t need _that_ knowledge,” Robin joked as he stood up.

“Indeed, sir.”

Robin carried the little girl, following Albert who seemed to know where things were. They entered his bedroom, well, his and Slade’s now, and found complete chaos. It looked like a vintage children’s store had exploded in there.

“Hello, sir, we are merely going through what Mr. Wintergreen here brought and what we managed to find in the attic,” Alfred explained. “It will be set straight in a jiffy.”

Robin had never heard the man say “jiffy” before, but then again, he looked quite animated and had maybe felt inspired.

“It seems we need a clean nappy, Uncle Alfred,” Albert said. In the beginning they had addressed each other by last name, but Robin had eventually put his foot down. He had had to accept that he was ‘Master Wayne’ to Albert, although he felt grateful that Alfred had stuck to ‘Master Richard”.

“They are around here… somewhere…” the old man said, suddenly sounding a bit lost.

“Found them!” his great nephew announced. “Master Wayne, if you would come with me?”

“Huh? Yeah… sure…” the teen said. He had been watching Slade tightening screws on a very dated looking baby cot with an almost scary focus, like he wanted to shut everything else out. He probably did. He hadn’t even reacted to them entering the room.

Robin followed Albert into the bathroom and watched the man look around before shrugging and laying down a bunch of towels on the floor.

“I’m afraid these will have to do for now. If you would put her down, please, sir?”

The teen did. Rose didn’t like it, but she seemed to understand what was about to happen and maybe also wanted a clean diaper.

Robin watched but took half a step away when the diaper was finally open.

“Holy…” he groaned.

Albert hesitated as well.

“Oh, my,” he said faintly.

“Worse than you’ve done before?” Robin asked.

“Well, to tell you the truth, sir… we practiced on dolls,” the under-butler admitted. “But… let’s get to it…”

Robin stepped out of the bathroom ten minutes later, carrying both a happier Rose and very unwanted memories. Slade had finished with the bed and was now at least looking over at them from where he was talking to William.

“Your daughter takes dumps like a full-grown man,” Robin grunted at him. “I don’t know what you have been feeding her, Will, but please tell me, because she’s never having that again.”

The old man chuckled. “French fries. No time to stop and she could feed herself.”

“We’re not going to talk to uncle Wintergreen for a while, are we princess?” Robin asked the girl, who just yawned.

“She is, you know,” the old major grinned.

“Talking to you?” Robin blinked.

“No. A princess.”

“What?”

Slade snorted. “Lili’s grandfather was the brother to the king in a country that got invaded. Third brother at that I believe. She’s hardly royalty.”

“Don’t listen to you daddy, of course you’re a princess!” Robin grinned. The child was not interested in the crown, however, she just yawned again. “It’s late, should we put her to bed? William, you’re staying at least overnight, aren’t you?”

“Yes, thank you. Alfred has already set me up in a guest room,” the old man nodded. “And yes, she can’t have gotten that much sleep in the car.”

“Did you even have a car seat?” Robin asked.

“Is he going to call the cops on me?” Will asked Slade.

The mercenary smirked. “He very well could.”

“In that case: yes,” the major claimed.

Robin rolled his eyes.

The old man snorted and shrugged. “I grabbed what I could, even her birth certificate, but there was a limit. I didn’t want to risk anyone coming for her.”

“How did you know about the birth certificate?” Slade asked sharply.

“Well, I’m… kind of her godfather, and I … might just have faked your signature on it. She made sure I knew where it was kept, and to empty the safe if something happened to her.”

“Well… she always made sure to have a way out…” Slade sighed.

Rose yawned again.

“Let’s put you to bed,” Robin said. “When I figure out how to do that,” he added. He got her into the cot, a bit awkwardly, but she immediately started to cry again. Eventually he ended up on his own bed with the girl in his arms.

“You shouldn’t spoil her,” Slade grunted. “Put her in her cot, she’ll fall asleep eventually.”

“She lost har mom, she’s been ripped from the life she knows and her dad is frankly a bit of a jerk. She’s not going to have to cry herself to sleep too,” Robin hissed.

The man grunted in the way he always did when he knew he had lost an argument.

“I have found a teddy, would she like that, you think?” Alfred said and held up a plushie in the shape of a yellow rubber duck. It looked awful to Robin and he was about to say no, when Rosie spotted it and held out her hands for it.

“Ucki! Ucki!” she insisted.

“Yes, here’s your duckie,” Alfred said and handed it to her. She clutched it hard and settled against Robin’s chest.

“Wait…” the mercenary suddenly said. “You said she’s a year old? That doesn’t add up, I’m not the father!”

“Really?” Robin snorted, gesturing to the white hair on the girl’s head and to Slade’s.

“Well, she’s actually around 18 months, sorry, old chap,” William said.

“Damn!” Slade muttered.

“What do we do now? I mean… legally?” Robin said. “We haven’t kidnapped her, have we?”

“Not with Slade’s name on the birth certificate, but there might be some questions,” William admitted. “If you have any contacts within the police-”

Slade snorted. “Try being on a first name basis with most of them and actually remembering their names,” he said, but there was a bit of humble bragging about Robin in his tone that made the teen smile warmly at him.

“Well, you might want to get in contact with them, see if they have any questions… You don’t want them to come knocking.”

“Damn right,” Slade muttered.

“We can call my lawyer too, if needed?” Robin said.

“I’d recommend that we go with the story that I, a close family friend, happened to come by for a visit, discovered what had happened and, being the child’s godfather, of course immediately took her to har father, who naturally knew about her and unofficially shared custody,” Will said, giving Slade a stern look. “And now we just want to make sure that everyone knows she’s safe.”

“Sounds plausible,” Robin nodded. “Should we do it now?”

“No, in the morning is fine. They would most likely understand. Child to take care of, grief, and so on,” Will shrugged.

“Oh, damn, Slade!” Robin exclaimed, suddenly turning to the man with big eyes. “Are you ok? I’m so sorry, I didn’t consider that you… I mean… you… loved her?”

The man snorted. “Hardly. Two weeks in the jungle, being hunted, lots of adrenaline, lots of testosterone… we fucked like bunnies, but there was nothing more. Well… I liked her, she was a spunky young woman, but I haven’t thought of her since, in any romantic way. She was a contact, nothing more.”

“Ah… ok. Just… if you need to talk…?”

“If you throw in pity fucking I’m sure I could cry a bit?” the man said hopefully, making Robin laugh.

“I think the princess has nodded off, should I take her?” Will offered.

“Please,” Robin accepted, as he was afraid to move.

The baby was put in her cot with no issue, still clutching her duck, and the major excused himself to go to bed. Alfred and Albert were still quietly fluttering around, but by now most things seemed to be in order.

“I think it’s time to call it a night,” Robin told them. “As long as she has clean clothes for tomorrow and something to eat…”

“Right you are, Master Richard,” Alfred nodded. “Call for me if you need assistance during the night.”

“I will,” Robin promised, because even though he wanted to say that he’d be fine, he knew he was out of his depth here. And Slade didn’t seem to be much help.

Then they were left alone. He, Slade and the sleeping little girl. It was a bit awkward.

“I’m going to bed,” Slade announced and started to change.

“Agreed,” Robin nodded and started to undress too, while heading into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Slade joined him and they went through their normal nightly routines before ending up on the bed.

“It’s been… strange.” Robin began.

“A bit of a surprise, yes,” the man muttered.

“How do you feel?”

“Again, is there pity sex in this for me?”

Robin snorted. “It’s ok to be shocked. You just found out that you’re a dad-”

“I’m not a ‘dad’, I’m a sperm donor at best,” the man objected.

“Biological father,” the teen insisted. “I’m sure you’ll get used to the thought.”

“I might not want to.”

“Do you really want her gone, just out there, with anyone?” Robin asked quietly.

To his credit, Slade didn’t answer immediately. “No. Of course not. I’m not a monster,” he said. “But I’m not ready to be a father ether. I can’t, Robin. I travel, I’m in a dangerous business, and maybe even more than even now, when the government has decided to put me on their payroll. If I accepted her, I’d have to ask you if _you_ were ready to be a dad, because I can’t bring her with me, after all.”

“Me?” Robin said, sounding a bit taken aback.

“Not such an easy decision, is it?” Slade smirked at him.

He had, however, completely misjudged the tone of Robin’s voice. The teen pulled him down for very heated kiss, silently thanking the man for, in a way, including him in his family like it was natural.

They made love, very, very quietly, which actually turned out to be a bit of a rush, and the teen fell sleep with a satisfied smile on his lips.

He woke up to a screeching cry, that had him vault out of bed. He remembered, just before his feet hit the cold floor, what was going on.

Rose was standing in her cot, shaking the bars like she was a prisoner in an old western movie, and letting the world know that she was not happy. At all.

“Hey, hey, hey, what’s wrong, little princ- oh, shit, I’m naked!” Robin yelped and covered himself with the comforter from the bed. Yanking that away, however, revealed that Slade, who was grumpily getting up himself, was equally naked. When that made the teen yelp, the man scoffed.

“She’s _one_ for fucks sake,” he snorted and walked past the crying child and into the bathroom. Robin found his pajama pants, pulled them on and lifted the girl out of the cot. Her diaper seemed heavy. Robin took the coward’s way out and called on Alfred. A moment later the butler was at the door and took the toddler away for a change and some breakfast.

“Get your workout gear on, we’re going to the gym,” Slade told him from the bathroom door.

“But Rose-”

“Is being cared for. There’s no reason to break our routine.”

Robin shrugged. The man was right, after all.

After an hour at the gym they arrived at the breakfast table where a newly bathed Rose was sitting, dressed very prettily, and playing with pieces of banana. Her Duckie was next to her on the table and she fed it too, now and again, making nom-nom-noises.

“She has already had breakfast, but I’d figured she could join you for your breakfast, Mr. Wilson,” Alfred told them.

“Great,” the mercenary muttered, but sat down. William had also just joined them, and cooed at Rose for a bit.

“She seems happier today, right?” Robin asked carefully.

“She does. I’m sure she’ll forget this whole ordeal soon enough,” the major said.

“We should be looking for parents, then,” Slade said.

“Will is right, Slade. She could have inherited some sort of meta powers from you, who the hell would you trust with that?” Robin said.

“So you’re ready to be a dad, then?” Slade sneered at him. The teen closed his mouth and he man snorted. “Thought not. Besides, I’m her father. I make the decisions here.”

The rest of the people in the room exchanged glances, but there was nothing they really could say.

“What are your plans today, sirs?” Alfred asked.

“I might have to head into the office for a bit,” Robin sighed.

“I would advise against that, at least in the morning, Sir. We’ve had quite a bit of snow and it keeps coming. According to the news, several roads are closed and they urge people to stay indoors if possible.”

“Really?” the teen got up and walked up to a window to look out. “Wow. Yeah, you’re right. We have a snow day!” he said and grinned over his shoulder at Slade. “Oh, Will, I hope you didn’t have anywhere to be, because it looks like you’re staying for a few days.”

“If you are able to house me, I’d be grateful,” the old man said looking over at Alfred.

“Of course,” the butler said. “We have plenty of supplies to see us through weeks of bad weather if necessary.”

“Al is a bit of a prepper,” Robin grinned.

“It never hurts to be prepared, young master,” the butler sniffed, but he had a smile on his lips.

“I guess we should contact the authorities about Rose, then,” Robin said and looked over at Slade. The man reluctantly nodded.

“Dada! Nana? Dada?” the girl suddenly said and held out a mushy piece of banana for Slade. It seemed that the room held their breath, and then the mercenary took the unappetizing piece from his daughter’s grimy hand.

“Thank you, Rose,” he muttered, and the girl beamed.

“Bin-bin! Nana?” She then said and offered Robin a piece.

“I’m Bin-bin?” the teen groaned as he accepted it the room chuckled. “Thank you, sweetie.”

“Ill!” she then said, and William got a share to.

“Al-ed!”

“Thank you, Miss Wilson,” the old man said.

“I believe it’s Miss Worth,” Slade told him.

“I think Rose is better,” Robin piped up.

“Miss Rose, then,” the old man smiled, having surreptitiously gotten rid of the banana slice.

“Allet? Allet?” the girls said, looking around,

“Albert is doing some laundry, Miss Rose. Shall we go look for him?” the butler suggested.

The girl seemed to agree and off they went, leaving the three adults to the rest of their breakfast.

“Maybe I should chop some wood for the fires in case the electricity cuts out.” Slade suggested. “The generators should be used sparingly if that happens. No one knows how long it will take to fix in weather like this.”

“I’ll join you, old friend,” the major said, just before Robin was about to say that he’d like to help. The teen watched the men and decided to let them have some quality time alone.

“I’ll call Commissioner Gordon and then I have some paperwork,” he said. “I’ll be in the sitting room, I think… that bay window is perfect to curl up in on days like this.”

When the men came in from the big shed outside, which remained from when the whole house once had been heated by fireplaces, they found the teen on the floor, on a thick blanket, playing with Rose.

“Yes!” Robin said. “You are such a clever girl! I asked for the green block and she gave it to me,” he explained to the men.

“Positively Einstein,” Slade drawled.

“Yes, you’re going to be as clever as your daddy!” Robin grinned teasingly at the child. She turned around at people entering the room.

“Mommy?” she asked, and the teen’s heart broke a little. “Dada,” she then proclaimed, sounding a bit disappointed.

“Yeah, I know, princess, he’s not all that, but we keep him around because he has nowhere else to go,” Robin smirked.

“Did you call Gordon?” Slade asked flatly.

“Yeah, he has his hands full with this storm, but he didn’t think there would be a problem. He’d contact New York for us. If you want to put her up for adoption, there will be a lot of stuff to go through, though, but he said to keep her put for now.”

“As long as we don’t get police barging in on us,” the man shrugged and went to sit down in an armchair. Robin was glad that he stuck around at all, to be honest.

He and Rose continued to play, and, more and more, the child started to babble. Often long sentences that the teen had no idea what they could possibly mean, with a single real word here and there. The teen reached for the duck at that point to take a closer look at it, as it seemed to be needing a good cleaning.

“No!” the toddler told him and took it back. “No. Mine. Mine uckie,” she said and settled the toy in her lap, giving Robin such a reproachful look that the teen started to laugh.

“I’m sorry, Rose, I just wanted to look at your duckie.”

“No.” The child said firmly.

“Your child is not a sharer,” Robin told the mercenary, who smirked.

“She might have inherited something from me after all,” he admitted. “Thank you,” he added to William who had handed him a glass of whiskey.

“Something to warm us up after the storm,” the major claimed.

“It’s still bad out there?” the teen said and looked out the window.

“Very. I’m sure this snow storm will go down in the books,” Slade answered.

“Well,” Robin grinned, stood up and walked over to the man, plopping himself down in his lap. “I think it’s pretty cozy…”

“Really, now?” the man leered at him and pulled him in for a kiss. A moment later Robin felt something tug on his trousers, though, and it wasn’t Slade.

“Bin-bin! Dada! Up!” the little girl demanded.

“Of course, princess, your daddy is strong, he can handle the both of us,” Robin said and turned to lift her up as well. He could feel Slade tense a bit and knew the man wasn’t comfortable, but Robin, for one, couldn’t find a single fuck to give. The man was going to spend time with his daughter even if he had to duct-tape them together.

“Dada, Bin-bin aah dah de ba,” a very happy Rose proclaimed.

“I’m sure that’s right,” Robin, who had no idea what the kid had said, agreed.

Albert came in to quietly prepare a fire and soon it was smattering away. Rose was rubbing at her eyes, and then curling up on top of Robin, who in turn was resting his head on Slade’s shoulder.

“Da-da…” Rose yawned and clumsily patted the man’s beard. “Bib-bin,” she added and practically slapped Robin’s face, though she of course didn’t mean to. The teen chuckled and stroked her hair, which was even more shining white now when it was freshly cleaned and brushed. The child nodded off. There was an electronic camera noise, and the teen turned his head to see William taking a photo of them with his phone, grinning.

“That’s the Christmas card taken care of,” the old man said.

“You’d better delete that thing,” Slade rumbled.

“You’d better send it to me,” Robin grinned. The then turned his head back into the crook of the man’s neck and breathed in his scent. He loved it, and it only got better as he had just come from outside, having spent an hour chopping wood. Robin closed his eyes, listened to the fire and nodded off himself.

He wasn’t woken up to crying this time, but to happy laughter.

“Again! Again!” Rose shrieked.

Robin blinked the sleep out of his eyes and turned his head. Albert was currently hoisting the child into the air, never really letting go of her.

“I fell asleep?” the teem mumbled.

“For almost an hour, Rose just woke up too,” Slade told him.

“Sorry, I hope I wasn’t too heavy,” Robin said, and smiled when the man snorted like he was talking nonsense.

“Well, I wasn’t able to enjoy your ass rubbing against my crotch with the girl sleeping on top of you,” he let him know.

“I’m actually kinda glad,” Robin snickered. “She’s not here now, though…?” he added naughtily and shifted a bit.

“You’re a naughty little-”

There was a cough from William and Slade sighed.

“Et tu, Brute? Isn’t the kid enough of a cock-blocker?”

“I just wanted to remind you I’m still here,” the man said.

“Master Wayne and Mr. Wilson seldom seem to care,” Albert admitted. “No, Miss Rose, I’m afraid that’s all the flying my body can handle at the moment. I need to go see if Uncle Alfred needs help with lunch. Should I take her?” he asked.

They girl had started crying at not being hoisted into the air anymore. “Bin-bin!” she cried and ran ever to him. Clambering onto the teen and her father again.

“I think Miss Rose just complained about the staff,” Robin said haughtily, with a teasing grin at Albert who just smiled back, knowing it was a joke. “She can sit here with us, right Slade?”

“I don’t think I get a vote.”

“And I think you’re sulking a bit,” Robin grinned at him but leaned up to kiss him. They were just about to, when their facies were forced apart by strong toddler hands.

“No! No dada! Bin-bin mine!” Rose told her father and patted Robin’s face in that rather violent way.

“Oh-oh, that’s not the best move you could have made,” Robin told her. From Will’s direction he could hear a strange strangled huffing noise.

“We have a wood shed to keep you in, girl,” the mercenary rumbled.

“Oh, be nice, she’s just a baby,” the teen snickered. “Look, Rose, I want to kiss your daddy, ok?”

“No,” Rose decided.

“But I want to, I think he’s very handsome and I really like him and I want to show him that,” Robin tried to explain.

“Ucki?” Rose suggested, pushing the mangy thing into Robin’s face.

“No, Duckie is yours. Your daddy Slade is my duckie. You can kiss your duckie and I kiss mine, ok?” The huffing noise from Will increased.

Rose looked suspicious, like she knew something was up, but eventually nodded.

“Thank you, dear,” Robin grinned and kissed Slade.

“Our love life will be very weird from now on…” the man muttered.

Robin grinned, though, because it seemed the man’s barriers were slowly breaking down.

“I now have a video worth millions…” the major claimed in a very strangled voice and then broke down in laughter.

“It’s sad how old friendships die when you kill the other person…” Slade sighed. 

Rose soon lost interest in them and climbed down to continue to play with her toys. Robin stood up and stretched, which earned him a grope from Slade. He turned around to grin down at him.

“What is it, daddy… was I a bad boy?”

Slade was just about to answer when Alfred came in to announce that lunch was served.

The mercenary groaned and muttered something about a house full of cock blockers.

“Eat your veggies, Rose,” Robin told the child a little later. She had been very suspicious towards the small pieces of broccoli on her plate.

“No!” she decided.

“Do as you’re told, girl, eat your broccoli,” Slade rumbled.

Robin saw those blue eyes grow big and was afraid she would start to cry, but instead she just seemed to think things over. She then picked up a piece and put on Slade’s plate.

“Dada eat!” she ordered.

Slade sighed but put the piece in his mouth. The girl watched him like he had lifted the whole house. Robin had never seen anyone looking more impressed. She then looked down on the rest of the green twigs and, slowly, put one in her own mouth. It seemed they all held their breath as she chewed. She then reached for another.

“Good,” Slade nodded and the girl smiled widely at him with green residue stuck on every tooth.

“Dada!” she said, and ate another piece happily.

“ _I_ ate all my broccoli _without_ being told,” Robin fake-sulked.

“I’ll reward you later,” Slade promised with a leer.

“Should we move her into the nursery for tonight, Master Richard?” Alfred wanted to know.

Robin glanced at Slade. He didn’t feel all that happy with the baby in a completely different room, but he didn’t want to put any more pressure on the man either.

“Yes, I guess so,” he sighed in the end. “But we need to check the batteries on the monitors and make sure they work.”

“Of course, sir,” Alfred let him know.

“We need to talk,” Slade told Robin. “Will, you and the others are on kid-duty. Should you lose her… well… no need to look too hard.”

“Stop being mean!” Robin snorted. He was a bit nervous about what Slade would have to say, but he followed him to the upstairs office because the man was right; they _did_ need to talk.

Once inside Slade went to stand by the window.

“Tell me what you want to do,” he said.

“I… what? Me?” Robin gaped.

“You’re eighteen. If you take her in, even as an ‘uncle’, you would be a parent figure, Robin. You’re young. Too young.”

“I’m always too young for the stuff I do,” the teen quipped with a leer on his lips.

“Have you even considered it? Rationally instead of emotionally?” Slade asked him sharply, showing that this was no time for jokes.

The teen sighed. “I… I don’t know. She saw her mom die, Slade… that kinda strike a chord with me, you know?”

“I’d imagine.”

“But if you’re asking if I would want a kid at eighteen… no. But you know I’ve been thinking of adopting eventually, and she’s here. And she’s yours. And we don’t know anyone to take her… do we?”

“The requirement for being a contact in my network doesn’t really include ‘good parenting skills’…” Slade admitted.

“And I don’t know anyone close enough… well… actually…”

“Yes?”

“How about Clark and Louis?”

“What?!” Slade did not look happy, but Robin hid a grin.

“They are good people, they are planning to get married, they have a solid economy and a great home… I know they want kids down the line… and who better than Clark to deal with any little… ‘surprises’ of hers? I mean, even if she has super strength, he’d be able to handle that.”

“They are a no.”

“For fuck’s sake, Slade! You don’t want her, but the nicest couple on the planet can’t have her?” Robin snapped. “Make up your damn mind!”

“I can’t put that burden on you-” the man started.

“We have plenty of help and we can even get more if we need to, she’s not going to be a ‘burden’!”

“I want to record that and play it back to you when she turns thirteen,” Slade smirked.

The teen sighed again. “Ok, I know it’s not gonna be easy, I know it’s going to be a responsibility, but you know you might create another Batman if you abandon her, right?” he claimed, half seriously.

“Oh, no, the humanity…” Slade drawled. Then he straightened up. “If we’re going to keep her-”

“Yes?” the teen interrupted eagerly. “What? Anything!”

“Then you have to marry me.”

Robin took a step back out of surprise.

“Wh-what?”

Slade walked up to his desk, opened a drawer and took something out.

“I could die on a mission next month. The government might decide to get rid of me. They might decide they’d rather see me in prison than on their payroll. I can’t offer her much security, Robin… and if I die, they won’t let her just keep her. Bruce needed to fight very hard for you, and he was much older. You were even old enough to say where you wanted to be. She’s just a baby and social services will snatch her up in a second.” The man then suddenly kneeled in front of the teen. “This is not how I planned to do this, and I hate involving Rose, but it’s urgent. Marry me and you are able to adopt her.”

“I… I…” Robin stuttered. Slade had opened the box to reveal a smooth gold band, a man’s wedding ring.

“You think taking in a child is alright but marrying me is too big of a step?” the man joked, but the teen could hear the worry deep underneath.

“No… I mean… yes… no… wait… let me restart. I… Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you!” Robin finally got out and then grinned like a mad man down at the mercenary. “You idiot! Of course I’ll marry you, I was just- when had you planned to do this?!”

“New Year’s Eve, of course,” the man smirked as he stood up and then carefully put the ring on the teen’s finger. It fitted perfectly. “Cheesy, but still classic, I thought,” the man shrugged. At this point Robin just jumped the man and kissed him silly.  
  
_To be Continued…_  
  
  



	2. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: as you have noticed I have been messing with the time line and canon in this story and it becomes even more apparent in this chapter. However, DC switches these things up all the time, too, so I don’t feel too guilty. And GraysonGirl? You’ll get the trope you demanded now… 😉

They came out of the room about half an hour later, ruffled but smiling.

“Miss Rose? Miss Rose?” they heard Albert call from downstairs.

“Allert!” The baby called back, but from an unexpected direction.

“Shit, she’s on the stairs!” Robin called out and just then spotted the baby teetering on the edge of a stair half way up. 

Slade ran by him at a speed not even Robin had ever seen him move in, and just as the child started to fall, he snatched her up.

Rose, not aware of any sort of danger, shrieked in delight, while the rest of them drew some very deep breaths.

“I’m so sorry! I just looked away for a moment, I had to go get napkins to clean her hands!” Albert said frantically.

“No harm done,” Slade grunted. “Find something to block the stairs with.”

“At once, sir!” the young man said.

“No, wait a moment, I want everyone in the sitting room first. We have some news,” Robin smiled, taking Slade’s free arm.

“Dada! Dada up! Again-again! Up!”

“I think she wants you to throw her,” Robin chuckled. “Not that high!” he then called out.

Rose loved it, though, and asked for more.

“What’s the big news?” Will asked once they all had gathered. “Apart from you obviously having decided to keep the little princess?”

Said princess was still sitting on Slade’s arm, currently having her duckie kiss his cheek while babbling away happily.

“Should you or I?” Robin smiled at the man, as he was embracing him.

“I would, but then you’ll tell me I ruined it, so you’d better,” the man smirked.

The teen sighed and shook his head. “Very well. Slade proposed. I said yes. And yeah, we’re keeping Rose,” he added with a grin and held up his hand where the ring was glittering.

“Oh my!” Alfred said, and then they all congratulated them. Robin thought he saw the old butler wipe at his eyes, and he thought he saw Will doing the same.

“When will the wedding be? A summer one, perhaps?” Alfred asked.

“There’s no time like the present,” Slade said, surprising them all.

“I beg your pardon?” Alfred said in a tone that translated it to ‘what the fuck?’.

“Neither Robin or I want a media circus. William can legally perform the ceremony, and if we need to, we’ll go down to the city hall once the storm has passed to make sure it’s all as it should. The only people we truly care about in the world are in this room. I don’t see that we need anything else.”

Robin hugged the man tighter.

“Of… of course, sir,” Alfred agreed, a little choked up.

“Well… Will? Get on with it,” Sade said.

“No, I must object!” Alfred then spoke up. “Master Richard, let us prepare a nice dinner and at least make things a bit festive first. There’s no harm in waiting until tonight, is there?”

“Well, he could change his mind?” Slade objected, making the teen snort.

“Of course, Al, but don’t overdo things. I’m sure we’ll need to have a reception of some kind later to appease the world out there,” he said and nodded towards the city. “You can overdo things then.”

“I’ll be sure to do that, sir,” the man grinned. “Now you two go upstairs. Master Richard, you’ll be in your rooms, Mr. Wilson, you’ll be in your old room. We’ll bring you your clothes.”

“I really don’t think this is necess-” the mercenary began.

“Sorry, Slade, we’re playing by his rules now,” Robin chuckled.

“You are not to come downstairs for any reason,” the butler told them sternly. “And no visiting each other! You will be fetched when it’s time, but be ready by six.”

“Yes, sir,” Slade only half mockingly replied.

At that moment the lights went out. Rose got scared and started to cry, but it only took a few moments for the generators to kick in.

“This is it,” Alfred said. “We need to save fuel. Albert, get everyone a flashlight, I’m going to set the generators for emergency power only. Security systems, kitchen, heating and water heaters mainly, but I’ll save on the heat where there’s fire places. Major Wintergreen, if I may be so bold as to rope you into the preparations?”

“Of course,” the major agreed.

“We’ll help-” Robin started.

“You, young man, already have your orders,” he was told. “Now get. We’ll take care of Rose.”

“About that… why is my daughter wearing a sailor suit?” Slade wanted to know.

“Well, she went through the clothes she had with her rather quickly. We’ve had to look through old clothes. This belonged to Master Bruce. I guess we have to dig deeper now to find something from his aunts for her to wear tonight.”

“Really, Al, it’s all too much as it is. Don’t worry about it!” Robin insisted.

“We’ll do what we can,” the old man sniffed. “Now, sir, to your room.”

“I feel like I’ve been naughty,” Robin snickered as they left.

“Well, you have,” Slade shrugged and grinned at him.

“True…” the teen admitted and tied to look ashamed. He failed. When they reached the hallway where they were supposed to go separate ways, Robin pulled the man in for a kiss and then looked up at him, seriously.

“Slade…?”

“Yes?”

“I… I know you proposed and everything and that should be a clue but… you haven’t even told me that you love me…?”

The man got this look in his eye like the teen was a tiny bit dimwitted and then chuckled. He leaned down to kiss him again. “I will,” he promised. “Now be a good boy and go wait for your future husband, will you?”

Robin snorted, feeling a bit foolish. “You’d better not run,” he warned.

“That goes for you too,” the man replied. “I’ll see you in a few hours then.”

Robin nodded with a grin and disappeared into his own room. Not much later Alfred had managed to reroute the power so it got dark again. Robin had gotten a lantern that ran on batteries, however, so it wasn’t too bad. Still, he expected to have a few boring hours ahead so he settled down with a book.

It didn’t take Alfred long to flutter in and pick out a tux for him, a light grey one. Then the man removed the fire guard from the normally unused open fire just as Will came in lugging a big basket of fire wood.

“The weather report is not good, we’re opting for minimal heating,” the butler explained. “Not too much, because of miss Rose, of course, but we’ll close off all rooms that are not needed.”

“Don’t tell Slade, he’ll insist on going out to chop more wood. I bet he’s bored,” Robin grinned.

”I made sure he has his book, but locking the door might still be a good idea,” Will admitted, grinning back.

“You should take a shower so you’re ready to dress in time,” Alfred told him.

“Al, I have almost four hours,” Robin objected, but a look from the old man got him on his feet. “Alright, alright… I will.”

As he had all the time in the world, Robin decided on a bath as well as some self grooming, including a little bit of manscaping and a pedicure. He did a full body scrub and then just relaxed in the bath until it started to feel a bit chilly. He finished with a quick shower, he had never been able to just bathe and feel clean, he needed to rinse off properly. He then got dressed in a clean robe, making sure he was presentable in case more people decided to rush in.

He was left alone, however, and eventually dozed off, when there was suddenly a knock on the door. “Alfred says fifteen minutes, so start dressing!” Will called through the door. Robin heard him deliver the same message at Slade’s door before hurrying away again. The teen jumped out of bed and hurried to dress and fix his hair. He was just about done when there was a new knock and the door opened.

“Ready, Master Richard?” Alfred asked, looking completely immaculate, although there was nothing unusual about that.

“Yeah.” The teen swallowed. “I’m… suddenly a bit nervous.”

“Good. It’s part of it,” the man smiled warmly and fixed his bowtie. “Now, if you would follow me, we’ll get you married.”

“As you demand,” Robin chuckled.

Slade and Albert, with Rose in his arms, were waiting in the hallway.

“Oh, my god, you’re so pretty!” Robin gushed.

“Well, thank you,” Slade said, pretending to preen.

“I was talking to Rose,” the teen chuckled. “Where did you find that dress?!”. The dress was all white with puff sleeves and so much lace that there was barely room for fabric. Even Rose seemed impressed as she was looking down on it and stroking it with her free hand. The other one was clutching her duckie, who, Robin laughed out loud to discover, had also been equipped with a bow tie for the special occasion.

Robin now turned his attention to Slade and swooned a little. He had seen the man in a black tux before, and he always looked good, but tonight he managed to look even better, somehow.

“You’re very handsome,” the teen beamed, almost shyly.

“You’re quite stunning yourself,” the man purred and took a step closer, probably to draw him into a kiss.

“None of that, it’s time to go,” Alfred said, clapping his hands.

The house was still in darkness, but Alfred and Albert each had an oil lantern to shine their way. They walked downstairs and then, to the teen’s surprise, they headed to the small ball room. When the butlers swung the double doors open, Robin gasped. It was full of candles! The old crystal chandeliers had been wired for electricity long ago, but kept their candle nozzles and had now been equipped with candles whose light reflected in the many prisms. The mirrors on the walls of the room, there to help spread any light there was in the old days, were doing their job once again, making the candles seem more plentiful than they were. They were led up an aisle with candelabras on each side to where Wintergreen was waiting for them. Robin didn’t think the man had arrived in a suit, but one had been found for him, which suited him perfectly.

“Dearly beloved…” William started, and Robin didn’t think there were truer words spoken on any wedding ever.

After they kissed, at the end, Slade leaned down a bit further.

“I love you,” he whispered in Robin’s ear.

“I love you too,” the teen whispered back, a bit choked up.

Rose then threw Duckie at them and then got upset when it fell on the floor.

Dinner was served in the small dining room and it couldn’t have been more extravagant if it had been planned months in advance. An exquisite light soup was followed by an amazing roast.

“How did this even have time to defrost?!” Robin asked. “Wait, none of the guards are missing, are they?”

“Very funny, Master Richard,” Alfred said, but looked happy that the teen was impressed. For once Alfred and Albert were eating with them, Robin would never have accepted anything else, but they took turns getting the dishes and clearing up plates. It was when it was time for dessert the men really surprised them all, though.

“How in the world…?!” Robin said as an actual wedding cake was placed on the table. It was a wedding cake in miniature, just for the six of them, but it was in tiers and decorated so finely with white sugar roses and leaves that the teen just stared.

“Ok, that’s… wait, was I set up? Was this whole thing planned?” Robin demanded to know.

“In that case I was set up as well,” Slade claimed.

“I took a baking class…” Albert admitted. “I could never bake as uncle Alfred can, but I could at least help with the decorations. It was always my favorite part.”

“It looks amazing!” the teen exclaimed. “Wow… I don’t know what to say…”

“COOKIE!” Rose suggested and made grabby hands for the cake.

“Yes, well… there’s that…” Robin chuckled. “Shall we cut it, then?” he asked Slade, and they did so together.

When a small piece was placed on Rose’s plate she couldn’t wait for the spoon, so she just went at it with her hands.

“Good thing she has a towel on to protect her dress,” Robin sighed, and she did. They didn’t have a bib and they knew by now that it was sorely needed. 

“Nothing to protect my suit, though,” Slade muttered, as the child had just grabbed his arm with her hand.

“Dada cookie!” she let him know.

“Yes, it was very good,” Slade agreed. “We need to have a conversation about table manners.”

“Dada?”

“Well, not today,” Slade agreed. “Today you can eat cake with your hands if you want to.”

They spent a lazy evening in the ‘snug’ in front of the fire. Rose nodded off and Albert took her up to her new bedroom, tucking her in. He kept the baby monitor with him and insisted on keeping it overnight, so the newlyweds wouldn’t be disturbed.

“It’s not like we’ll be sleeping anyway,” Slade leered at Robin, who chuckled.

“Good thing it’s Sunday tomorrow,” he agreed.

“You two sleep in for as long as you want. There will be brunch ready for you when you want it,” Alfred said generously.

“Better aim for dinner,” the mercenary suggested and Robin snorted. “Time to take my bride to bed, I think,” the man said when he heard the dismissive tone.

“I’m not your _bride_ , I’m your- what are you doing?!” Robin objected as he was hoisted up in the man’s arms.

“Carrying you over the threshold,” Slade grinned.

The teen started laughing. “I married an insane person. Great,” he grinned. “Night!” he told the others as he was carried out of the room.

Once Slade managed to get their bedroom door open without dropping him or slamming any part of him against the wall, the teen was gently placed on their bed. They kissed and undressed each other in eager silence, but when they only had underwear on Slade suddenly pulled back.

Robin had only experienced that kind of withdrawal once before and jumped to conclusions.

“Oh no! You… can’t? What’s wrong?”

“Does it look like I ‘can’t’?” Slade snorted and gestured to his boxer briefs that were very tented.

“Oh. No. Good.” Robin sighed in relief.

“There is something else, though…”

“W-what?”

“Well, we had a long time to prepare. Even when spending a lot of time shaving, there’s only so much you can do. I … got bored.”

It took a few seconds for things to click, but then the teen’s eyes darted to the man’s crotch. “Did… did you… shave… down there?”

“It was only supposed to be a normal trim,” Slade defended himself.

“I understand, I groomed a bit myself, but… you think you… went too far?”

“I know I did.”

“As long as you didn’t cut it off?” the teen joked.

“I just wanted you to be prepared that things… aren’t as you left them.”

Robin laughed, and then, quick as a snake, reached forward and pulled the man’s underwear down. He was prepared to make fun of the man, but the laugh got stuck in his throat.

“I know it’s bad. Just try not to look,” the man muttered.

“Holy fucking shit, you’re HUGE!” Robin gaped.

“You already knew that.”

“Ha, ha, very funny… it’s just that… holy… you look much bigger than normal. A bit too bare, yeah, but… holy…” the teen reached out and touched Slade’s member almost reverently. It had gotten a little softer as in preparation of the ridicule, but now it got some attention it really liked. It very much liked the rest of the evening as well.

Robin woke up with a smile on his face. It wasn’t too late, only nine in the morning. Very late for him and Slade, though.

“Mmmm….” he said, and stretched. “You awake?” he mumbled.

“Yes,” rumbled the big spoon and kissed his shoulder. “You’re mine,” he added and kissed it again, almost a nibble this time.

“That I am. And all you had to do was blackmail me with a baby,” Robin teased him.

“If I had only known that from the beginning…” Slade lamented.

“Well, you can always look around for other offspring you might have fathered, just in case I would want a divorce in the future,” the teen grinned.

“Good tip. Will do,” Slade promised with a chuckle. “The weather still sounds awful,” he added.

“I think I need to try to reach out to the employees and tell them they get a couple of snow days…” Robin said. “People driving or trying to commute into the city in this? Even if the storm is over by tomorrow, the snow will still be there.”

“That’s probably a good idea. Except for one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“You’d have to leave the bed,” Slade pointed out. “And I won’t let you.”

“Aw. Dammit. Well, it will have to wait then,” the teen snickered. “Well?” he added. “Do I have to be bored in bed or do you plan to entertain me?”

Slade planned to entertain.

“Good morning, sleepyheads,” Will greeted them when they eventually made their way down about an hour later.

“Bib-bin! Dada!” Rose shrieked and came running over.

“Good morning, princess, have you missed us?” Robin asked.

“She has. I’m going to leave her with you and flee. I’ve had my fill of peek-a-boo for a while,” the man grinned and left the room.

“I see we woke up in the sixties,” Slade commented when he saw the child’s awful mustard colored romp suit.

“We’ll go shopping for her when we can,” Robin told him. “For now, be glad she’s not wearing the curtains!”

“Might be an improvement,” the man snorted.

“Up! Dada Up!” the child insisted and Robin held his breath for a moment before Slade lifted her up. The man noticed and smirked.

“What, you thought I wouldn’t?”

“Well, I… I don’t expect you to turn around so quickly, it wouldn’t be fair,” Robin said carefully.

“Robin, I was in chock at first, and then I refused to let myself get attached because I wasn’t sure of the outcome,” Slade admitted. “And honestly, deep down I still think she might be doing better with a normal family… but we don’t do normal in this family, do we Rose?” he asked.

“Ucky!” the girl said and pressed the thing into Slade’s face.

“Point proven…” Slade muttered.

Robin laughed, feeling relieved. Slade might never become a gushing parent, but at least he would be a parent now. The idea of he himself being a parent was scary enough, he didn’t want to do it alone.

“We’re going to have breakfast, have you had yours? Do you want a snack?” Robin asked Rose. “Some banana?”

“No nana… up! Up!”

“No, we need breakfast first,” Slade said firmly. The girls lip suddenly protruded and started to wobble. “No, don’t try that with me, Robin does it enough,” the man said.

“I do not!” the teen claimed, but only got a knowing look in reply.

Rose, however, was not to be calmed, and started to cry.

“Dada, dada, up! Up, dada!”

Robin didn’t believe his eyes when the man sighed and caved. Soon the girl was shouting with happiness instead, as she was carefully being thrown and caught.

“One more time, then I have to eat,” Slade told her firmly.

“Again! Again!” Rose encouraged him, but now Robin came to the rescue.

“I think Duckie is hungry, don’t you?” he said.

That got the girl’s attention and she nodded seriously. Duckie was indeed hungry and wouldn’t mind some crackers and slices of fruit.

“I need to go make some calls,” Robin said after breakfast. “Will you watch Rose?”

“I will try to keep us both alive,” Slade said honestly.

“That’s my husband,” the teen grinned.

“Or I could hand her over to Albert and help you?” Slade suggested with a smirk.

“I know what kind of ‘help’ that would be. Stay here. Be good.”

“You sure have great demands of me,” the man complained while Robin left the room chuckling.

It turned out that most of the city had power but other than that the situation wasn’t great. Robin spoke with Lucius who agreed that keeping the office building closed for a few days would probably be for the best. A few of them could keep most things running from home as they could log into the system from there. The work would mainly consist of letting customers know why it was quiet on their front and cancelling meetings, however. Apparently, most of the city had shut down in similar ways. Robin told the man of the events of the weekend and Lucius was, naturally, stunned.

“You managed to get married and have a kid in a single weekend? The gossip rags will love you forever!”

“I know, I know, it won’t be fun when this comes out, but… yeah.”

“What I meant to say was of course congratulations!” the man on the other side exclaimed.

“Thank you,” Robin snickered.

He then called his secretary and she confirmed that she could access his appointments and cancel them. They had people who were supposed to fly in tomorrow, but the airports were of course closed so no reason for them to even try.

Once he finished, he went in search of Slade and found him in the snug, as it was one of the rooms that was heated by a fire, and there he found Slade reading to Rose.

“And the doggy goes…?”

“WOFF!”

“And the there was a cat, and the cat goes…?”

“MAAAOOO!”

“Good girl.”

“Um…” Robin said. “There is a part with animal noises in the Winston Churchill book?”

“No, but she doesn’t know that. She can’t read. I’ve checked.”

Robin snickered.

Slade looked out the window.

“I feel a bit cooped up. I think I’ll go out and chop some more wood.”

“I wouldn’t mind joining you, but…” Robin trailed off, looking at Rose.

“See if Alfred or Albert can watch her. She’s our responsibility but we do have help. We can’t stop doing what we need to do to feel good or we’ll start resenting the situation,” Slade said seriously. “That’s not fair to her either.”

“I guess you’re right. I’ll go ask,” the teen said.

The butlers were just finishing cleaning up the kitchen and had no problems watching the child.

“We do need more firewood,” Alfred pointed out. “It was chilly this morning.”

Robin agreed, it had been, but Slade had warmed him up plenty. He didn’t tell Alfred that, though.

Doing some manual labor felt great, and being in the shed was almost like being outside, except for the wind and snow. The firewood was partly from their own grounds, trees that had died, been felled by the wind or cleared out for one reason or the other during the year had been sawed into logs and put in the shed to dry. They now needed to be split and it was hard work. At least for Robin. Slade seemed to be able to split logs by simply looking at them sternly. They mostly worked in comfortable silence, commenting on particularly well-placed strikes with the ax or when pieces of wood flew through the air with the apparent intent to kill or injure anything in their path. Robin used the time to try to digest what had happened during the last couple of days. He then realized something.

“Slade?” he asked, lowering the ax to signal a break.

“Yes?”

“Will you be very upset if I don’t take your name?”

The man stopped chopping as well. “I didn’t expect you to, considering the company name. You’ve already changed your last name so it would still be in the hands of a ‘Wayne’, after all. That was a sacrifice on your part. I don’t expect you to change the company name to ‘Wilson Enterprises” either, he added with a chuckle.

“Thanks… although… for the record, I’d rather be Richard Wilson by choice than Richard Wayne by force. I still haven’t gotten used to not being Grayson anymore… I think I resent it, but… it was strategically the right thing to do.”

“It was,” Slade nodded.

“I could be a Wilson-Wayne?” Robin suggested. “That way I get a little bit of choice and a little bit of forced tradition.”

“I think that’s the most perfect description of what life is that I’ve ever heard,” the man said with a chuckle. “And yes, if you’d want that, I would be honored,” he added warmly.

Robin blushed, grinned and nodded.

“That should last us for a couple of days,” Slade eventually said.

“I could really go for some hot chocolate right now,” Robin said as they trudged back through the snow.

“You’re such a child,” Slade teased him.

“Oh, admit it, you want some too!”

“Well… it’s _Alfred’s_ …” Slade muttered in defense. “OOf!” he added as he got hit in the back of the head with a snow ball.

In the next couple of seconds Robin experienced that nightmare where you try to run, but can’t get anywhere, in real life. The snow was deep and the monster was moving in quickly.

When they eventually came inside, they were both soaked and Robin, at least, was shivering, though his cheeks were rosy and he was laughing.

“You are such children,” Alfred tutted at them. “There is a change of clothes and warm chocolate waiting for you in the sitting room.”

Snickering they entered into the warm little room and were soon dressed in thick softs clothes and knitted woolen socks to heat up their toes. Robin wasn’t ashamed of snuggling up to Slade on the sofa with the mug of hot chocolate in his hands. The man put an arm around him and pulled him in even closer.

“Al’s the best,” the teen sighed happily.

“His great nephew is shaping up well too,” Slade said. “Did you notice that Alfred wasn’t using any titles when we got in, by the way?”

“No? Oh, yeah, well… sometimes, he just enters that dad-role, he did that with Bruce too when he had been extra stupid. There was no “Master Bruce” or “Master Wayne” then, it was more “idiot boy, getting yourself into trouble again…” the teen chuckled.

Slade hummed in agreement just as Albert came in to fetch their wet clothes and shoes.

“Miss Rose is asking for you, sirs, if you don’t mind?” he said.

“Of course not, bring her here,” Robin answered. “What is next on the agenda for her? Snack? Nap?”

“She’s just had a small sandwich, I think she might be getting tired soon, sir,” the under-butler replied.

“Perfect, I might need a nap myself,” Robin smiled. Albert nodded and left to fetch the child.

“Don’t you have work to do?” Slade teased him.

“Hey! Don’t you? Didn’t I hire you to check over our security system?”

“Pft… that’s a project I’ll do in an afternoon,” the man snorted.

“Good, I’ll remember that when I pay you,” Robin smirked then blinked. “Oh… I didn’t think about the economical side of getting married… Should we have made arrangements?”

“Afraid I’ll claim half of the business?” Slade smirked.

“If you do, I’ll just claim half of your kills,” Robin smirked back.

The man’s eye widened comically. “Out of the question! I want a prenup!” he joked, making the teen laugh. “Well a postnup, but still.”

“You can get a pin-up?” the teen leered.

“Great, I’ll get a locker and tape it on the inside of the door,” the man chuckled. “We should get a prenup, though… Neither of us are interested in the other’s assets, but it’s always good to have in writing, especially with a child in the mix.”

“I’m hurt,” the teen claimed sadly. “I’m _very_ interested in your assets, and I thought you were at least somewhat interested in mine…” he ended with a smirk.

“Money, Robin. Money.”

“Ah. Oh, well then, no.”

“DADA! BIN-BIN!” an excited voice cried out from the door.

“There’s our princess!” Robin grinned and held out his arms. They were soon filled with a babbling one-and-a-half-year-old. Apparently, Duckie had had many adventures that needed to be explained. Robin wished he had a translator, though.

After some time when she still hadn’t shown any signs of wanting that nap, she began to grizzle, finding nothing funny anymore. Robin was wondering what was going on until he smelled it.

“Oh. She needs a new diaper…” he said. Slade had been mainly reading while he played with Rose, and Robin didn’t want to push the man too much, but he also felt, very strongly, that she was _his_ daughter when it came to these kinds of things.

“Alright. Do we have somewhere to change her?” Slade asked, putting his book down and standing up.

“I… don’t know. Maybe up in her room? I haven’t even been in there yet,” he said, sounding a bit guilty.

“Well,” Slade said, scooping up his unhappy daughter. “You were busy getting fucked.”

“Firstly; yes, that might be a good excuse. Secondly; I don’t think you should say such things in front of your daughter,” Robin lectured him.

“What? She’s too small to know what fuck means,” the man snorted.

“Uck?” Rose asked and the man paused.

“Alright, I get your point,” he admitted.

“Uck? Uck!” The child yelled happily.

Robin snickered all the way upstairs.

When they entered the guestroom-turned- nursery, Robin’s eyes widened.

“Wow… they really turned it into a kid’s room! How much stuff do we actually _have_ in the attic?”

“Enough to fill a few museums, all perfectly organized, labeled and catalogized,” Slade let him know dryly.

There were child friendly paintings on the walls, a small rocking horse and a toy chest in a corner, a piece of furniture that must have been an old-fashioned changing table to which Slade was currently heading. Sure, things look dated but it was all whole. Robin decided then and there that although they would update her wardrobe and such, most of the things in the nursery could stay. No need to replace things that still worked, unless there had been safety features added since then, of course. He knew that his knowledge when it came to these things was severely limited, but he was also sure that Alfred and Albert would have already looked into it.

He was there to watch Slade fumble and maybe even gag, but instead the man changed his daughter quickly and efficiently.

“Wow,” Robin said. “Have you done that before?”

The man stilled for a moment as he was buttoning up the girl’s clothes.

“Yes.”

“You… have?”

“She’s not my first kid. I… had two sons.”

Robin took half a step backwards.

“You… you… have…? Had..? What…?”

“They and their mother died… many years ago.”

“You… you never told me,” the teen said, feeling strangely left out.

“It’s something I’d rather put behind me,” the man insisted.

“You didn’t think I should know?”

“No. It’s in the past. It doesn’t matter.”

“But it is _your_ past!” Robin objected. “You know everything about mine, and you never bothered to tell me that you used to have a family?”

“Bin-bin ang-y?” Rose asked uncertainly, her voice a little wobbly.

“Yes, Bin-bin’s a bit angry,” Robin muttered, turned around and walked out.

“Bin-bin nap?” Rose asked her father.

“You know what, princess? I rather think he _does_ need a nap,” Slade sighed. “Or at least he’d be happier if he’d spend some time in bed.”

“Why?” Rose wanted to know.

Slade met those almost turquoise eyes.

“I’ll never, ever tell you.”

_To be Continued..._   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Oops. Well, Slade will take care of this, no worries. 


	3. Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here we go, the last part of fuzziness! Thank you for reading, please leave a review too! If you have a plot bunny, please leave it there too! After all these fuzzy feelings, maybe something dark? Any ideas out there…? 😉

Slade knew to give his young husband a bit of time to breathe. He refused to give him enough time to _stew_ , however.

He walked downstairs with Rose on his arm. The girl was babbling and Slade had to admit that she was rather… adorable. He hoped she had only inherited his hair and not much else. Well, her eyes should by genetic probability also be dark, not that strange blue that looked almost fake compared to Robin’s amazingly sky blue eyes. He didn’t want to consider what else he might have passed on, so instead he went to find Alfred.

“Could you look after Rose for a moment?” he asked.

“Of course, sir,” the man answered with just a tiny amount of stiffness in his voice. Slade almost smiled. Robin must have stormed by. “Thank you. Do you happen to know where Robin is?” he asked. The man’s eyes flickered downwards for a fraction of a moment. “Thank you for telling me,” Slade said.

“But… I didn’t?” the old man claimed.

“You did. But it would be the first place I looked for him anyway,” the man smirked and handed Rose over. “Be a good girl to Uncle Alfred now,” he told her and left to hunt down a certain young man.

Slade found him, like he knew he would, in the Batcave, fighting the wooden dummy. He watched for a while, letting the teen work things through. The boy was still good, very good, but he would need some real-world practice soon or he would lose his edge. Slade didn’t know how he felt about that. He loved Robin for what he was, he knew they shared the same need for adventure, but at the same time he wanted the young man safe. Home. With a helmet and padding on, if possible. Perhaps _only_ a helmet and padding on.

“I don’t like your leer; it doesn’t bode well for me.” Robin’s voice suddenly cut into the man’s thoughts.

“Sorry. I’ll save that thought for later,” the man smirked.

“ _Much_ later,” the teen muttered.

“You don’t want to know about my past, Robin, there’s a lot of blood in it. It will get messy.”

“I don’t care!” the teen claimed. “Soak me! I can handle a bit of a mess.”

Slade, who was in a deflective state of mind, smirked. “Are we still discussing my past or are we talking about golden showers?” he asked.

Robin closed his eyes, briefly. “We will _never_ talk about golden showers. _Ever_. So, yes, your past. I’m not saying I need to know about every kill, but the big stuff, you know? Meeting Wintergreen, becoming a meta-human… becoming a _DAD_?! And hell, Slade, _losing your family_? Those things have a huge impact on who we are… you don’t think it’s important that we share that, as a married couple?”

Slade sighed. “Really, Robin, it was a long time ago-”

“If you are afraid of loving Rose because of the children you lost, I need to know,” the teen cut in, almost harshly. “I need to know so that I can understand. Or I might judge you. I might start thinking that you don’t really love me either.”

“That’s not fair,” the man growled.

Robin smirked. “Aw, the big bad Deathstroke is crying out for a fair fight?” 

“Maybe you need to respect my wishes to keep the past in the past,” the man told him coldly, turned around and walked away.

Robin blinked. He hadn’t expected this. He was sure he was right in this, so why did Slade’s words make him feel like he was a terrible person?

“Slade, wait!” he called out before the man had made it half way to the stairs. The man stopped but didn’t turn around, like he was ready to keep walking. “I’m sorry,” Robin added. “I understand that it must hurt. Immensely. But… if you ever feel… I mean… I just think that it’s important…” He could see the man’s shoulders slump a little and relaxed.

“Fine.” The mercenary turned around. “But not now. On my terms, Robin.”

“Yes, of course!” the teen assured him and hurried up to the man, sliding his arms around him. “Sorry,” he mumbled into his chest.

“I understand your reasoning,” Slade sighed. “But you have to understand that I’ve been suppressing these memories for so long, to be able to even function. I won’t be able to just tell you out of the blue.”

“No, I understand,” Robin mumbled.

“I could tell you how Wintergreen and I met, though, but I think he’d like to be a part of that.”

Robin smiled up at him. “I want Will to be there too, just to make sure you’re not glorifying yourself.”

“Who? Me?” Slade tried to look innocent.

Robin snickered. “Maybe after dinner tonight, when Rose is asleep?”

“I know better things to do with that time, but alright,” the man smirked. “Which reminds me,” he said and gently stepped out of the teen’s embrace to walk over to a row of lockers where some gear was stored.

“What do you need?” Robin asked curiously.

“I’m just getting some padding,” the man said, picking out protective gear.

“Are we going to spar? With protection?” The teen looked confused.

The man leered. “Nope.”

They heard Rose wailing as soon as they came up from the bat cave.

“There you are,” William muttered as he spotted them. “Take care of your hell spawn, she’s giving me a migraine.”

“Why is she upset?” Robin asked, looking over at the two butlers, who also seemed to have migraines brewing.

“She wanted banana and dropped a piece on the floor. I wouldn’t let her eat it, and…” Albert said, gesturing to the child who, red in the face, was sitting on the floor crying her heart out.

Slade sighed and picked her up, but she only started crying harder.

“Maybe throwing her out into the snow will stop this?” the mercenary pondered.

“Well, it probably would, but I think some people might frown upon it,” Robin smirked.

“Any of those people here?” the man asked, looking around. No one indicated that that was the case. “You’re all evil. I like it,” the man chuckled. “Unfortunately, as her father, I’d better deal with this in some other way. Rose?” The girl glared at him. “ _Quiet_.”

Rose did fall quiet. For a second. Then she wailed even harder and pummeled his shoulder with her little fists.

Robin burst out laughing. “I would have hated you if that had worked,” the teen chuckled. “You’re not getting away that easily.”

“Apparently not,” the man grumbled. “Alright, Rose, I’m taking you up to your room before we’re both thrown out.”

Robin smiled at the two as they left, Rose crying a bit more silently now.

“I’m going to let them work it out,” he stated to the others. “They need to bond.”

“Speaking of working it out, I assume you and Mr. Wilson…?” Alfred asked.

“Yeah… for now.” Robin sighed. He still had trouble quite grasping why Slade couldn’t just tell him everything, but he understood enough to know that he had to respect that he couldn’t, at least not at the moment.

“Very good, sir,” the old man nodded, seeming pleased.

Robin went to his office to look through his work mail and get whatever he could get done, done. Half an hour later Slade entered with a much happier Rose.

“Bin-bin!” she exclaimed.

“Is Bin-bin busy working?” Slade asked teasingly.

Robin stood and stretched. “Nah, there’s not a lot more I can do for now, and not much coming in on a Sunday either,” Robin said and took Rose as she reached out for him.

There was a knock on the door and Alfred entered. At once it was obvious to the teen that there was something on the man’s mind, and he could see from Slade’s body language that the man noticed it too, and was on his guard.

“Master Richard?” the old butler started.

“Yes?” the teen said, expecting bad news.

“I was wondering… since Rose has joined us… and as you have just gotten married…”

“Yes, Al? What is it? Please spit it out, you’re freaking me out a bit,” the teen begged.

“I was wondering if we could… rethink the decision regarding the Christmas decorations?”

Robin let out a relieved sigh. He had told the butlers to keep the decorations minimal this year, mostly because he didn’t want them to have too much to do, as Albert was still in training, so to speak. Robin was stressed himself and had thought he was doing the old man a favor. Obviously that favor had been seen as a punishment.

“Of course, wonderful idea, do whatever you want. But use Slade for any heavy lifting, alright?” Robin said.

“What am I, a fork truck?” the mercenary muttered.

“I was thinking another word starting with F, but ok…” the teen grinned at him.

“Will do, Sir, thank you, Sir,” the man beamed and ducked out of the room.

“Good. He was looking like a kicked puppy for weeks after the Christmas conversation in November,” Slade claimed.

“He… he did? Now I feel really bad!” Robin said. “Why didn’t I notice?”

“Well, you were looking at either the computer screen or the ceiling,” the man leered.

“You should have told me!”

“I didn’t think it was a bad idea to tone it down either… lot less boxes for me to carry.”

“Mr. Wilson?” came a call from down the hallway. “If you could lend a hand…?”

“See?” the mercenary sighed. “I won’t see you again for a long time. Goodbye. Don’t sleep around behind my back. Raise my daughter well.” 

“I can promise I’ll try. With one of the things, at least,” Robin grinned at the man as Slade headed for the door. The man paused.

“Which one?”

“That will be a surprise for when you come back, dear,” the teen smirked. “Be brave out here!”

Slade snorted, but the teen heard him chuckling as he left the room.

“Guess it’s just you and me for a bit, huh, Rose?” Robin asked the toddler in his arms.

“Da-da bye-bye?”

“No, no, he just needed to work for a while. Should we go read a story?”

“ESS! Moo-moo!”

“And hence the Boy Wonder got to solve the great mystery of what the heck moo-moo is,” Robin sighed.

“Eck!”

“No-no-no, moo-moo!”

“Eck! Uck!”

“I’m so glad your articulation is off…” the teen muttered and took the child downstairs.

He found Wintergreen reading in front of the fire. It was funny to the young man that people like Wintergreen and Slade who were both quite dangerous, Slade at least for sure, and Slade didn’t have just anyone as a best friend, could kick back and seemingly enjoy the most peaceful of activities. The major looked like someone’s grandpa, basically blissful, and the mercenary had the same sort of aura in similar situations. Robin smiled at the man.

“Found anything fascinating?” he asked.

“Your library is extremely interesting. I have been thinking of writing in my retirement, I won’t have to look further than here for good sources.”

“Actually, William…” Robin knew what he wanted to ask but wasn’t sure it would be received well. “Unless you have somewhere more important to be… would you like to stay for Christmas and New Years?”

The man lowered his book and looked thoughtful for a moment before giving the teen a small, warm smile and a nod. “I think I’d like that very much. I usually spend the holidays at some tropical beach somewhere, but that idea doesn’t quite have the same pull this year, I admit.”

“Great! Then that’s decided!” Robin beamed. “Now, one more thing… do you know what ‘Moo-moo’ is?” 

That evening Robin got to hear some very interesting stories from Slade and Will, and how their friendship was formed. Despite the very serious subjects of wars and prison camps, the men had him in stitches several times. They were enjoying some tea, hot chocolate, juice and brandy respectively in the sitting room when Alfred walked in.

“Master Richard, there’s a visitor to see you,” he said.

“I swear Slade, if someone else is dropping off another kid of yours…” the teen warned.

“Hello,” a someone said awkwardly at the door.

“C-Superman?” Robin gaped.

“Come to ask my husband to whore himself out again?” Slade drawled.

Clark, in his superman uniform, blushed. “I- no, I- wait… husband?”

Robin held up his hand, flashing the gold band with a grin. “Yup,” he grinned, enjoying the look on the man’s face. “And I don’t think you’ve met our daughter, Rose?” he said and lifted the girl off the floor to show her off.

“I… I… wait, did I fly here too fast or something? Pass into another dimension? Travel in time?” the hero asked himself.

Robin laughed and shook his head. “You just happened to stop by on a rather crazy weekend. What are you doing here anyway? Did something happen?”

“Not at all, I’m just helping all along the areas the storm has hit. Even crime seem to have been snowed in.”

“So you’re helping it out on the streets again, how kind,” Slade grunted.

The kind alien actually looked a bit confused and doubtful for a while, but then straightened up. “People are snowed in, there has been quite a few accidents, I’m merely helping out. I thought I’d just look in as I was in the area.”

“Of course, that’s nice of you, I do owe you a lot,” Robin said with a pointed look at Slade to tell him to play nice.

“And we will never forget what you’ve done for us,” Slade smiled sharply and coldly, which actually managed to make the man of steel look a bit nervous.

“Some tea, Sir?” Alfred offered.

“I… uh… no thank you, Alfred, I should get going… as long as everything is under control here…?”

“If you could clear the entire drive way and make sure the road down to the city is cleared as well…?” Slade asked in an overly sweet way.

“Y-yes. Sure! I’ll do that. Um... good night… um… sweet kid! And… um… congrats!” the hero said, nodded to them all and almost slunk out the door.

“And that’s the man you wanted to raise Rose?” Slade snorted.

“Firstly; he’d be a great dad, and secondly; you know I only suggested him so you’d want to keep her, right?” Robin snorted.

“Well, I thought so, but the arguments were sound too…” the man muttered. He looked out the window. “Driveway’s clear,” he stated smugly. “It’s still snowing, though. Nasty weather. Hope he freezes his balls off.”

“What the heck did the great American hero do to you?” William chuckled.

“He decided to be Robin’s pimp,” the man grunted.

“It wasn’t like that!” the teen objected.

“Imp!” Rose said happily. “Uck eck imp!”

“We’re ruining her! She’s been with us for two days and we’re ruining her!” Robin groaned and handed the child over to Slade. “Go put her to bed. Maybe she will have forgotten this by tomorrow.”

“One can hope,” the man muttered. “But you’re coming with me to help.”

“And why is that?” Robin groaned, as he wanted to go back to his hot chocolate.

“Well, as you said,” Slade smirked. “She’s our kid.”

Robin grunted. He had said it for shock value, even though he supposed it was basically true… and would be legally true further down the line. It felt kinda nice, though… “Well, I can’t say no to that,” he sighed.

“There’s a lot of other things you can’t say no to either, I’ll go through all of them with you later,” the man leered.

“Can’t wait,” Robin grinned back.

“You’re going to sleep really quickly, young lady,” Slade told his daughter.

“Don’t forget to brush her teeth, Master Richard,” Alfred reminded them.

“If you don’t forget to go to bed at a decent hour,” Robin told him. “I don’t want all these boxes touched tonight; you have plenty of time to decorate for Christmas during next week.”

“Yes, sir,” the man nodded.

When Robin came downstairs the next morning the whole first floor was transformed, however. He was carrying Rose who was practically screaming with glee seeing all the sparkles of tinsels and lights.

“Alfred, what did I tell you?!” Robin exclaimed while still looking around like a child himself.

“If I may direct your attention over there, Master Richard,” the butler said and gestured to a single, lonely box against the wall, “you will see that we indeed didn’t ‘touch all the boxes’.”

“Malicious compliance, I like it,” Slade chuckled.

“Sometimes I think Alfred is the biggest super villain of them all,” Robin groaned. “Very nice work, Al, it’s beautiful.”

“And all out of reach of a certain young lady… or so we hope,” the man declared, looking just a little big smug.

“It has stopped snowing,” William, who apparently was an early riser, reported as he came in through the front door. “Cold as all hell, though,” he added.

“What were you even doing outside?” Slade asked.

“Started to feel a bit antsy,” the Major admitted. “I’ve been digging my car out, it seemed Superman didn’t notice it last night. I was thinking about risking going into the city for the day.”

“Please let me just check the roads first,” Robin asked. “I wouldn’t mind going myself, to be honest, even though the office is closed. Besides, Rose needs stuff, doesn’t she?” he added to Alfred.

“Clothes first and foremost, all kinds, and we’re running dangerously low on diapers, sir.”

“That’s it, I’ll dare any amount of snow as long as that behind is securely walled off,” Will joked.

“Make us a list, it seems we have a mission,” Slade chuckled. “We’ll take the station wagon so we’ll have plenty of room for supplies. Will, old friend, I understand if you seek other type of entertainment… family shopping is hardly exciting.”

“I have a few friends in the city I’d like to check in on, if you don’t mind,” the man smirked.

“Business contacts? Robin asked curiously.

“You can call her that…” the Major leered back.

“Will! You dog!” the teen exclaimed.

“Doggie!” Rose chimed in, looking around. “No doggie…?” she then said sadly.

“No, I said Will was a doggie,” Robin explained. “But I won’t tell you why. Anyway. You’ll be fine with uncle Alfred and uncle Albert for a while, right?”

“Well… actually, Sir…” Alfred cut in.

“Yeah?” Robin asked,

“We know her size when it comes to clothes, but the shoes she was wearing seems too small and didn’t have a size on them… It would be easier if she can try on the shoes, she needs proper winter boots as well, but I could take her if-”

“Nonsense, we’ll manage!” Slade snorted. “If I know anything about women it’s that they love shopping. Shoes especially. It will be a breeze.”

The man would have to eat those words many, many times over.

“NO! NO DADA!” Rose kicked her foot so the cute pink boot on it flew straight into the face of the salesman trying to help them.

“Ok, that was impressive, princess, but this is about keeping your feet warm, not about headshots,” Slade told her. 

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to encourage violence,” Robin hissed between his teeth.

“Of course not,” Slade agreed. “Unless it’s done well,” he added.

“Slade!” Robin objected.

“Yes, dear?” the man answered innocently.

Robin just tried the bat-glare on him and shook his head in warning. The bastard smirked back.

The teen then spotted something that gave him an idea. He moved to another shelf and picked up a pair of boots there.

“Look Rose! These boots are just like daddy’s!” he said, holding up a pair of dark green somewhat camouflaged pattered boots that somewhat looked a little like Slade’s winter shoes. “Don’t you want to have boots like daddy?”

The child looked thoughtful for a moment and then a smile exploded on her face. “YES!” she shrieked.

“Ah, my daughter, I’m disappointed in you… succumbing to imitation of idols…” Slade sighed, but quietly. He was smart enough to not want to risk these new developments going south.

“They seem to fit,” Robin grinned.

“Um… Sir… Those are boy-boots…” the salesman said.

Slade straightened up. “Do boys and girls have anatomically different feet?”

“I… no? But-”

“So, the boots are for children, then?”

“Yes, but-”

“My daughter likes these boots. Are you trying to tell me that she is wrong?”

“I… no! No, of course not, Sir! I just thought that something in purple, perhaps…? Would be more… appropriate?”

“So now my daughter is inappropriate?” the man both looked and sounded very, very dangerous.

“N-no, I…”

Slade pulled the tag off the boots and handed it to the salesman. “Then ring these up. And I think a discount would be appropriate, considering what you have implied about my little girl.”

“Would- would you like me to p-put them in a- a bo-”

“She’s keeping them on.”

“Yes, sir!”

The man scurried off and Robin finally broke down in a fit of laughter. “I love you so much,” he forced out through the giggles.

In the next store Rose threw them completely off by choosing a bright pink hat with a unicorn and way too much glitter, but, like Slade said, she was a rebel, and wouldn’t be tied down to one style.

It was a good thing that William had taken his own car because they filled up the station wagon to the brim.

“Shouldn’t we get her a few Christmas presents too?” Robin asked.

“What is all this then?” Slade said, gesturing to the car, which was now also equipped with a top of the line car seat.

“Necessities…?” Robin suggested. “I just…. I can just get her a toy, right?”

“As it’s apparently that important to you, sure,” the man shrugged, studying him carefully. “But hurry back.” Rose then started to cry again for no other reason than being over stimulated. “Please,” Slade said, and he was really begging.

Robin grinned and dashed off. Soon he returned with a bag, which he had to keep in his lap, and they set off home. Rose fell asleep in the car and it was actually quite cozy.

The roads were just barely alright, and the cold had done a number on the city as well, they saw several signs of water leaks on their way, and the storm had left a lot of trees and electrical wires knocked down.

“No wonder we don’t have electricity,” Robin muttered when he was the damage.

“I’m glad I just kill people for a living, this kind of job is too messy,” Slade chuckled and nodded to a crew of electricians who seemed to be freezing their asses off as they worked.

“Ha-ha,” Robin snorted.

They just barely made the hill climb home because of the ice on the roads, which was a lot more noticeable when you were trying to climb the hill than going down.

“We have to call Will to tell him to take it easy,” Robin said.

“He’d be extremely insulted,” Slade said.

“It’s called caring!”

“Still,” the man insisted.

“Fine. I guess you know him best,” the teen muttered.

Just before they arrived Slade’s phone rang. “Push the speaker button, I need to keep my hands on the wheel,” the man told Robin.

“Wilson?” a voice said.

“Speaking.”

“We are happy to report that you have qualified for the position you applied for.”

“I’ll get back to you,” the man said and nodded to Robin to hang up.

“You… applied for a job?” the teen said.

“No, that was the government. Code for they have a mission for me.”

“Oh.”

“You know it can happen at any time.”

“Of course,” Robin said hurriedly, trying to hide his disappointment and fear. He wanted Slade here for Christmas and he wanted him here with Rose. He couldn’t say as much, of course, because he knew the man wouldn’t like it. “So… you’ll let me know some basic stuff after you have called them back…?”

“Of course.”

As soon as they were home, the man disappeared to somewhere to make that call. Robin handed Rose over to Alfred and then single handedly carried everything first inside and then packed everything away. He even wrapped the gift he had bought for Rose. He had already finished the Christmas shopping for the others, and he and Slade had picked up a nice bottle of old whiskey for William, so he’d have a gift as well. It was almost an hour before he was done, and he went to find Rose, knowing Slade would eventually find them.

Rose was not a happy girl at the moment.

“She refuses to take the boots off,” Albert sighed.

Alfred didn’t like shoes in the house. He had reluctantly accepted that the Americans saw things differently, but always made sure that the inhabitants of the house changed to indoor shoes as soon as possible after coming inside. Now it appeared that the young lady of the house didn’t agree with this rule.

“One moment,” Robin said and then ran up to get a pair of thick soft socks with rubber soles which they had just bought. He returned to the scene of despair waving them around.

“Look, Rose! Your bunny socks! Do you want to wear these?”

She didn’t.

“What is she upset about now?” Slade asked.

“Look Rose! Daddy isn’t wearing his boots inside!” Robin said pointing to the comfortable indoor shoes the man had apparently just shoved his feet into. “The boots are for outside. The bunny socks are for inside, and they really want you to put them on,” the teen tried.

The girl was drawn to the fluffy white and purple things shaped like deformed, flat rabbits and decided to change her mind about wearing the boots forever. She let Robin take them off and put the socks on and then happily followed Albert into the kitchen for a snack.

Robin looked up at Slade and stood up.

“Sooo…?” he said. “When…?”

“Early tomorrow morning.”

“I… I see. And… for how long?”

“A couple of weeks. At least.” The man’s voice was clipped. He let very little emotion through. Robin was teeming with them, though, and all negative. He didn’t know how Slade would react if he showed him how much he hated this situation, however. Would the man take it as proof that they couldn’t handle having Rose? Robin hadn’t particularly liked Slade leaving for any type of work, but that was because he was worried for him, and, having been in a similar kind of business himself, he had accepted it… but now…? A child just changed things. For the first time Robin wasn’t just worried about Slade, he was worried for his own and Rose’s sake too. He sighed.

“Well… it’s how it is.” He tried not to sound like he was angry at the whole world. “I’m sure Alfred can make us a nice dinner tonight… like an early Christmas one.”

“You’re allowed to say that it sucks,” Slade told him, a little bit of a chuckle in his voice.

“IT REALLY SUCKS!” the teen exclaimed. “For fuck’s sake, we’re newlyweds! And Rose! And it’s CHRISTMAS! And NEW YEARS, and-”

“Apparently some people still need to be shot,” the man tried to joke.

“I know,” the teen sighed and then blinked and gasped. “What am I saying?!” just as Slade burst out laughing.

“I wish I had a recording of this… I would have loved to send it to Clark,” the mercenary chuckled.

“I meant that I know that work still needs to be done… even though that kinda sounds just as bad. Damn…” Robin said and then simply stepped forwards into Slade’s arms, hugging the man’s waist hard, while burying his face into his chest. He soon felt arms encircle him as well. “You’ll be damn careful. That’s an order.”

“Yes, sir,” Slade replied, only partly jokingly.

They had a rather somber and light lunch, as Alfred was preparing a big dinner that evening. Rose was in a splendid mood, however, though she almost fell asleep at the table by the end.

“She’s tired today,” Slade remarked. “Two naps already?”

“Shopping takes a lot out of you,” Robin chuckled. “Unless you think somethings wrong?” he added worriedly and felt her forehead. “She doesn’t feel warm?”

“No, she’s just had a big day,” the man chuckled and lifted the girl from her high chair. “Should we take her up to her room?”

“I was thinking we could go into the sitting room,” Robin suggested carefully. “And… talk?”

“Robin…” the man said warningly.

“No, not about anything you don’t want to talk about, just… talk… Let’s take Rose too, she will probably just sleep for a tiny bit anyway.”

“Very well,” the man agreed, and soon Rose was snoozing in a chair, surrounded by pillows so she couldn’t roll out of it, and Slade and Robin were on the couch, the teen getting comfortable against the man’s side.

“I’m sorry,” Robin mumbled.

“For what?” Slade asked.

“You said keeping Rose would change things. I didn’t want to believe that, not really… and here I am, freaking out because you’re going to leave.”

“It’s understandable. I wish we had had time to register our marriage and begin the adoption process. It would make things go smoother if something was to happen.”

“Oh yeah, because that was what I was worried about. Legal shit,” Robin muttered, hugging himself even tighter to the man.

“Again, if I had only had a recording…” the man chuckled. “I’ll be fine, Robin. You know it takes a lot to bring me down, and I’m rather good at what I do. Frankly, I’m a bit insulted,” the man claimed.

“What I know and what I feel are two incompatible things at the moment,” the boy claimed. “But yes. I know. But it’s for Rose’s sake too, she’ll miss you.”

“She’s a baby, she barely knows who I am.”

“Shut up, she’s known from the moment she saw you! It’s actually kinda creepy. Maybe some meta human stuff,” Robing said. “She’s going to be upset while you’re gone.”

“You are four adults here to distract her. She might be a bit grumpy, but there’s nothing I can do about that. Are you trying to make me feel bad for leaving?”

Robin gasped. “No! Shit, no, Slade, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to! It’s not like I don’t work long hours and sometimes has to travel too… not to speak about my… other job.”

“You’re… thinking of taking that up again?” Slade asked carefully.

“Well, I’m starting to get the hang of the business side, and I don’t have to do much with Lucius taking over the acting CEO role, I’m basically a figurehead who’s also learning from him… I’m not saying it’s not a lot of work, but helping the police to solve crime with the help of the bat computer is fun. Really fun. I’m just itching to go out there again as well. I’ve been… working on something.”

“On what?”

“I’ll show you,” Robin promised. “Later,” he added with a little leer.

“Can’t wait,” the man smirked back. “So… being out there… fighting crime…”

“Yeah?”

“I’m just thinking about Rose here… you’re just human, and if something would ha-“

“Now you’re doing it to me,” Robin pointed out.

“Oh.”

“I thought about not working when you’re working, so one of us are always home ‘safe’ so to speak…?” Robin said.

“You have to let me train you. You’re not ready for the streets yet.”

“Heh, the way you train me I’ve been ready for the streets for a quite a while,” the teen snickered.

“Cheeky,” the man chuckled, just as his hand found the teen’s ass and squeezed his actual cheeks. “But I’m serious. And you’ll have trackers sewn into every part of your suit. And hidden ways to call for backup.”

“I’ll graciously accept all of those things if they make you feel better,” the teen smiled. “You don’t like the idea, do you? Me out there?”

“Not one bit,” the man admitted.

“Good.”

“Why?” There was a bit a growl in the man’s voice, and Robin knew he had poked the beast.

“Because then you’ll understand how I feel. You won’t try to stop me, are you?”

“No,” the man sighed.

“And why is that…?” Robin prompted.

“Well, I could say that I respect you too much, or I believe in your skills… but the truth is…” the man paused, like he was thinking things over. “The truth is that I’ll lose you. And yes, I see the parallels. They aren’t exactly subtle.”

Robin chuckled quietly and kissed the man’s jaw, which was as far as he could reach at the moment. He then laid his head down to rest on Slade’s shoulder again and sighed.

“We’re rather impossible, aren’t we?”

“Of course. ‘Possible’ is for losers,” the man snorted, making the teen snicker again.

They just lay there for a while until Rose woke up. The girl came to snuggle with them until she was fully awake but then surprised them both by going over to her play area and happily starting playing by herself.

“She’s probably had enough of us for one day, dragging her around, trying to force her to wear girl boots,” Robin chuckled.

“If she’s anything like me, you might be right,” the man muttered.

At that moment Wintergreen came into the room. Judging by his rosy cheeks he had just come home. Robin just then realized that the color might not only have come from the cold.

“Nippy out there,” the man commented. “The road was hell too. So… why are you two looking so gloomy?”

“Slade’s going to have to work. He’s leaving tomorrow,” Robin lamented, the awfulness of it all rushing back.

“Oh, that was bad luck,” the major nodded and endeared himself to the teen as he actually looked upset about it. The old man sat down in the chair Rose had napped in. “I understand if this means the offer to let me stay for Christmas is revok-”

“Don’t you dare leave too!” Robin snapped. “I’m already losing one hunky whitehaired ex-military man; I’m not losing another!” he joked.

“Well, well,” Wintergreen all but snickered. “I’d happily do my duty and stay, then.”

“I don’t like your tone there, old friend. Or your choice of words, Robin,” Slade added and slapped the teen’s butt lightly. Robin could hear the laughter in the man’s voice too, though.

“Well, if you can’t be here…?” the teen grinned.

“If I didn’t know that Will is strictly a ladies’ man, I’d bring him with me,” the man grunted.

“Not me?” Robin asked.

“Will is better at killing people, and if I thought he had eyes for you, I would have no qualms about using him as a human shield.”

“Love you too, old friend,” William said dryly, but with a grin playing in the corner of his lips.

The dinner that night was just as good as their wedding dinner, though much more subdued for obvious reasons. Alfred had done his best to prepare something that resembled a Christmas dinner, but there hadn’t been enough time to defrost and cook a turkey. Instead roasted chicken was the main dish, but nobody minded. Robin barely left Slade’s side all evening. He wasn’t being consciously clingy, it just felt wrong to work in his office when the man was going to leave next morning. They put Rose to bed together and as they left the nursery, Robin suddenly remembered something.

“I forgot to show you what I have been working on. Wait here!”

“Right here? In the hallway? Because I need to take a piss,” Slade said.

“Bedroom then! I’ll be back in five!” Robin said and dashed away.

It took a bit longer than five minutes but Slade was waiting patiently in their room when the teen opened the door. For a second the mercenary tensed, but then a rather lecherous grin spread on his face.

“What do you think?” Robin asked and turned around, showing off a black suit with blue details.

“Very nice…” the man purred and came up to him, running his finger along the blue stripe that started at his fingers and then traced it up along his arms until it merged in a bird-like design over the chest. “Very nice indeed. Take it off.”

Robin burst out laughing and danced away. “I didn’t mean if it looked hot, I wanted to get an assessment of its usefulness,” he claimed.

“Oh, I might have time to look at it later,” the man said and made a grab for him. Robin again slipped away, a teasing smile on his face.

“My ass doesn’t look fat in it, then?” he asked and turned around, briefly.

“It looks perfect,” the man claimed and stalked closer again. Robin moved away. “Come here,” Slade growled, making the teen’s stomach tingle.

“Make me,” he challenged, and saw the man’s lips part in a smirk.

“Oh, I will, boy,” Slade promised.

The man was fast but also at a disadvantage since this was Robin’s old boy room, and he had spent more time than he wanted to admit playing a very advanced form of ‘the floor is lava’ in here. He knew the place by the fire where the exposed rock wall offered both foot and handholds. He knew that the top of the windows, obscured by curtains, were wide enough to grab and swing from as well. He didn’t however, want to leave the room, and that didn’t give him a lot of options. Slade soon had him cornered, still grinning, and Robin pushed off the wall in an attempted to dive over the bed, when the man’s hand grabbed one of his ankles and stopped his movement.

“Ouff!” the teen grunted as he hit the bed.

“Seems I got you where I want you,” the man purred.

“Well, maybe this was my plan all along?” the teen piped up.

“Then I’ll happily fall into your trap,” the man claimed and actually fell on top of the teen, pinning him down.

“Outsmarted and overpowered,” the teen grinned and wrapped his legs around the man.

“Yes,” Slade said, but the tone of his voice told Robin that it wasn’t his _own_ defeat he had confirmed.

“Hey! Don’t you dare-mmmmfff…”

Slade made sure the young man used his mouth for other things than talking from then on.

Robin woke up on the verge of what could be called morning. He reached out and found the rest of the bed empty and cold.

“Oh no…” he mumbled to himself and sat up. He quickly patted across the room in the nude to check the bathroom, but it was empty. He then hurriedly found a pair of pajama bottoms and a robe. “If you left without saying goodbye, you bastard, I’ll fucking…” he growled under his breath as he headed down the corridor, intending to run down to the kitchen, hoping to catch the mercenary grabbing something to eat. The kitchen was empty too, however, and the teen’s shoulders sank. Slade had left. Snuck away. “Probably too fucking scared of any emotions surfacing…” the teen muttered to himself as he dejectedly climbed the stairs in the dark. He had forgotten to grab a flashlight, but he didn’t need one; he had grown up in this house, it didn’t take much light to navigate.

As he was about to turn left, back to his bedroom, he saw a faint light playing over the wall to the right, however. He hurried that way, expecting to be disappointed as he pushed open the door to the nursery. But he wasn’t.

“Slade!” he whispered. “Fuck you, I thought you had left!”

The man was cupping a small flash light, stopping most of the light, as he was standing over the cot of a sleeping Rose.

“Sorry to disappoint you,” the man smiled flippantly.

“Not funny,” the teen growled. “What are you doing in here anyway?”

“I heard a noise, but she was just dreaming, I think,” the man said.

“Not from the bedroom, surely? You were about to leave, weren’t you?” Robin whispered accusingly.

“Let’s talk outside,” the man said, herding the somewhat irate teen in front of him until he could close the nursery door behind them.

“Did you try to leave?” Robin said again, his vice more vulnerable than angry now.

“No. I just made a phone call.”

“In the middle of the night? Wait, someone is picking you up then?” Robin said, trying to figure out what the call was for.

“No. Listen to me, Robin. I wasn’t trying to sneak out, quite the opposite.”

“What do you mean?”

“Remember when I got the government contract and how they tried to sweeten the deal to get me to sign?”

“Yeah…? I mean… quite a bit of money…?”

“And benefits. I got the full benefit bundle. Guess what that contained?”

“What?”

“Parental leave.”

“WHAT?!” Robin whisper-yelled as he tried not to wake everyone up.

“Three months. I’ve just informed them that I’m taking one month off starting immediately. They weren’t happy, but there’s nothing they can do.”

“I… I… Did you know…?”

“No, I just remembered about it. I didn’t pay that much attention to the parental section, for obvious reasons.”

Robin just opened and closed his mouth for a bit but then gave a quiet shout of glee and jumped into the man’s arms.

“You’re staying!”

“Yes,” the man chuckled. “For a few weeks, at least. I figured I’d save the rest for when we might want to plan something later.”

“That is so great! Thank you!” The teen grinned.

“Well, I’m obviously needed here… to influence my daughter’s wardrobe,” the man said dryly.

“Don’t sell yourself short, I can think of a few more uses for you…” Robin leered.

“Really now? Prove it,” the man smirked back.

“Dada?” a voice called through the door.

“Deathstroke,” Robin groaned, “control your kid.”

**_Epilogue_ **

A little over a week later it was Christmas Day. They had had a busy time, pulling a lot of legal threads to register their marriage and Rose’s presence in their lives. All wasn’t settled yet, but both had unashamedly used every contact in their book. They had been spotted when they had gone shopping with Rose and media had been hounding them for a statement as well, which they had given two days ago. The media circus didn’t touch them in here, though, in the ‘snug’, now adorned with a Christmas tree which Alfred and Slade had brought in from the grounds. Alfred had picked it and Slade had chopped it down and carried it inside. It was fenced in by something that was really a kid’s play pen, to stop Rose from getting too close to it.

“This is nice,” Robin smiled, sipping hot chocolate. It was early and Alfred would soon call them to Christmas breakfast. They had exchanged presents already and Robin was happily wearing what looked like a smart watch on his wrist. It was actually much more technologically advanced, and came with things like hidden lock pics. Slade had had it specially made for him, of course, and Robin couldn’t wait to go through the manual. They had had similar ideas for gifts, because Robin had given Slade a new phone, which also had specific features like a direct connection to the bat computer, so the man had access to invaluable data wherever he was in the world. Of course, that connection was both well protected and hidden within the phone, which was also made to withstand a lot more force than a normal one.

“It is,” the man agreed. William, who had already opened his whiskey to take a sip, hummed in agreement.

Robin looked over at Rose. The girl was grinning from ear to ear, hugging a big plush bunny that he had given to her. He hoped it would eventually replace that awful duck, but for the moment she clung to them both. 

“What do you think, then, Rose?” he asked,

Rose looked up at him, and then around, taking everything in, and just as Albert and Alfred entered the room, she made her statement, loud and clear:

“Fuck!"

**_The End_ **

****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Merry Christmas! Like I said above, plot bunnies are welcome, especially one-shot plot bunnies or of existing universes. I’m off to enjoy my holiday, I’ll see you next time!

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: so that was part one of three. Yes, it’s a domestic fluff story, but hey, it’s Christmas! 😉


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